Han Xian

Jia Nan Academy's Alchemist Department.

A gray-haired old man sat before a medicinal cauldron. The five silver lines above the cauldron emblem on his robe's chest proved that he was a Fifth-grade Alchemist.

Beside him stood young people after young people dressed in Alchemist robes. These Alchemists, who would be eagerly sought after anywhere in the Jia Ma Empire, were now holding their breaths as they stared fixedly at the old man's medicinal cauldron.

Purple flames rose within the cauldron, continuously burning the medicinal ingredients inside and extracting their essence bit by bit. Judging by the color of the flames, this old man was clearly also an Alchemist who borrowed flames for alchemy.

However, the violent nature of the purple flames in his hand was far from the level of Heavenly Flames. They seemed only slightly stronger than the Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle beast flame in Su Luo's possession. Clearly, it was a beast flame from a Sixth-tier Magical Beast.

"Condense!"

After several hours, the many medicinal liquids within the cauldron had gradually shrunk to an amount close to a single pill. Once the essences had been refined to this stage, the old man decisively began the pill-condensing process.

The most refined portions of the extracted medicinal liquid were enveloped by flames, slowly gathering into the shape of a pill embryo.

As the pill embryo appeared, the old man slowly reminded the students, "Pay attention. Although the pill embryo has already formed, this is precisely the time when you must not let your guard down. Many Alchemists become excited when the pill embryo appears, fail to control the heat properly, and cause the pill to fall short at the very last moment. Therefore, even after the pill's initial form has appeared, you must not be careless in the slightest."

"The pill embryo stage is not only where Alchemists are most prone to mistakes due to excitement, but also a crucial stage in determining a pill's quality. If it is nurtured for too long after the pill embryo forms, the pill may be ruined. If it is nurtured for too short a time, the pill's quality will suffer. At this time, remember to control the heat properly."

The old man controlled the pill condensation while reminding the Alchemists. Nearly half an hour later, accompanied by faint fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Energy and waves of medicinal fragrance, the old man took a dark-red pill the size of a longan from the medicinal cauldron.

The old man spread open his palm and displayed the pill before everyone. The dark-red pill was covered in numerous pill markings. Clearly, this was a perfect-grade pill that had developed Pill Patterns.

"This is the complete refining method for the Fifth-grade pill, the Dragon Power Pill. You are still unable to refine pills of this level for the time being, but this old man believes that among you, there will always be a few who can refine pills of this grade in the future."

The old man stroked his beard. As a Fifth-grade Alchemist Elder of Jia Nan Academy, refining perfect-grade Fifth-grade pills and teaching Jia Nan Academy's students were both things he greatly enjoyed. Thus, he was in quite a good mood today.

"So this is the complete process of refining a Fifth-grade pill. It really isn't easy." Su Luo rubbed his chin as he spoke after silently watching the entire process.

Su Luo's Alchemy Skill had always been built through Soul Power far stronger than that of ordinary Alchemists, Ye Fan's Notes from the Ye Family, one of the Five Great Families of Dan Tower, and vast amounts of resources forcibly piled together. This was his first time truly watching a high-grade Alchemist refine pills, so his eyes were filled with excitement.

Watching high-grade Alchemists refine pills was enormously beneficial to a low-grade Alchemist. Unfortunately, his previous circumstances had been too limited. Before arriving at Jia Nan Academy, the only Fifth-grade Alchemist Su Luo had ever met was Fama.

However, under the story he had fabricated, it was impossible for Su Luo not to have watched high-grade Alchemists refine pills before. Naturally, he could not ask Fama to refine a pill for him to watch, since actually seeing it might expose his lie.

If Su Luo, an Alchemist himself, could not see the obvious gap between Medicine Elder's Alchemy Skill and Fama's Alchemy Skill, it could only mean that Su Luo had never seen a truly high-grade Alchemist.

Thus, after meeting Fama, Su Luo could only continue relying on the sheer quantity of medicinal ingredients to forcibly raise his Alchemy Skill.

Although Su Luo had used vast resources, Ye Fan's Notes, and Soul Power far stronger than that of Alchemists at the same level to forcefully reach the Mid Third-grade, this wild, self-taught style of alchemy could not continue forever.

Relying on proper guidance rather than notes alone was the path a normal Alchemist ought to take.

After all, no matter how good Notes were, they were ultimately only Notes. Although Ye Fan had recorded things as thoroughly as possible, some things could only be understood more clearly through actual observation and proper combinations.

Having someone imagine magnesium burning in their mind, at most supplemented with illustrated text, was different from truly observing the flame-color reaction of burning metals for a long time.

Now, watching a Jia Nan Academy Elder refine pills was filling in Su Luo's gaps in understanding how true high-grade Alchemists refined pills.

Although the pill grades refined by these Elders were rather limited, they were more than sufficient for Su Luo at this moment. By observing the alchemy methods of high-grade Alchemists, Su Luo was confident that he could raise his Alchemy Skill to the Peak Third-grade before reaching the Dou Master level.

"Three months from now will be the assessment for Alchemists of the Alchemist Department to enter Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy early. The top ten in the assessment may choose to enter the Inner Academy early for cultivation. In addition, the first-ranked Alchemist will receive a separate reward from the academy. As for what that reward is..."

"Hehe, believe this old man. The reward Jia Nan Academy offers definitely will not disappoint you."

The Elder spoke with a faint smile, his eyes filled with envy. Clearly, even this Fifth-grade Alchemist coveted the reward Jia Nan Academy could offer.

After finishing this lesson and informing the students about the Alchemist Department's assessment three months later, the old man waved his hand. The many Alchemist students took their leave, either returning to reflect on what they had observed or to try refining pills themselves. In any case, Jia Nan Academy's learning atmosphere was quite good.

Of course, when the forest was large, there were all kinds of birds. With so many people, it was naturally impossible for everyone to be doing the same sort of thing.

After leaving the Alchemist Department's pill-refining room, Han Xian grabbed one of his underlings by the collar from behind, nearly lifting him off the ground.

"You told me that Su Luo, who might be able to beat me in the Alchemist Department competition, was that guy? A fellow who looked like he was seeing a Fifth-grade Alchemist refine pills for the first time? Where did this country bumpkin come from?"